title: Feasibility and safety of a minimally invasive approach to catheter ablation for atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia.
abstract: This study assessed the feasibility and safety of a minimally invasive approach to catheter ablation in 72 consecutive patients with AV nodal reentrant tachycardia. A 3-catheter approach was used in the first 19 patients. In the other 53 patients, a 2-catheter approach was employed. Ablation was successful in all patients after a mean of 3 +/- 3 RF applications. Procedure and fluoroscopy times were 62 +/- 20 mins and 8 +/- 5 mins respectively. Slow pathway was ablated in 43 patients (60%). Transient AV block occurred in 6 patients; there was no permanent AV block. These results suggest that it is feasible to perform ablation for AV nodal reentrant tachycardia safely and with high efficacy using a minimally invasive approach. This has the potential to lessen patient discomfort and to further shorten procedure and radiation exposure times.
authors.affiliation: Cardiology Unit, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Adelaide, Australia.
authors.forename: J T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Hii
authors.forename: R D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Wuttke
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kalaburnis
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Velisarris
mesh_terms: D017115:Catheter Ablation / Q000379:methods*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D005268:Femoral Vein; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019060:Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures; D012449:Safety; D013611:Tachycardia, Atrioventricular Nodal Reentry / Q000601:surgery*; D013997:Time Factors